Beside You
by unbreakable86
Summary: How the Christmas Day Episode Should Have Gone feat. Established Chelly. Read A/N for warnings!


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**A/N 1: This is just a drabbly piece that I felt inspired to write. A different take on the hostage situation, which desperately needed fixing. Elly must be traumatized and the show doesn't seem to acknowledge that. Not only did she give birth under extreme duress, but she was also attacked from behind, violated, and held at knife point. People calling her a slut seriously need to fuck off. Victim blaming is unacceptable. Oh, and also, Chelly endgame. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.**

**WARNING: I changed the events during the hostage situation and it is a bit more graphic and violent than on the actual show. Please skip the part in italics after Elly's first shower scene if this is likely to trigger you.**

**Sign and share our Chelly petition if you haven't yet: /BWbQKpth**

**Flashbacks are in italics. Also, this is angst, which is why the pace of the story is not my usual Chelly writing style. I tried something different. :)**

**Happy reading!**

**xxxx**

**Beside You**

"_When you're overwhelmed and you've lost your breath, when the space between the things you know is blurry nonetheless, when you try to speak but you make no sound, and the words you want are out of reach but they've never been so loud. If your heart wears thin, I will hold you up and I will hide you when it gets too much. I'll be right beside you, I will stay. Nobody will break you."_

xxxx

_Chloe Brennan was playing with thick, chestnut curls, watching her girlfriend's eyes droop as a lazy smile spread across her face. Leaning down, the blonde pressed a featherlight kiss to Elly Conway's forehead and whispered, "I won't be long. I promise, Baby. I just have to make sure everything is going smoothly at the concert. I am gonna have a quick peek and get someone else to organize the closing speech. As soon as that's done, I will come rushing back to you, okay?"_

_Nodding, Elly smiled sleepily and mumbled, her words slightly slurred already, "I'm sorry I can't make it. I'm just so tired."_

_Chloe's hand went to her lover's very pregnant belly, softly stroking it over the fabric of Elly's red dress before leaning down to kiss her gently, "You, my love, have nothing to be sorry for. You guys need rest and I'll climb in with you as soon as I'm back, okay? Then we can cuddle all Christmas Day long."_

_Clumsily reaching for the blonde's cheek, Elly brushed an idle thumb along a strong jawline, "Can't wait. Stay with me until I'm asleep? Won't take me long."_

_Chloe grinned, "I know, Baby. I'm not going anywhere."_

_Before the blonde had even finished her sentence, Elly's breaths had become deep and even and Chloe stayed there for a second longer, right where she belonged, playing with mocha tresses. She breathed another kiss to her girlfriend's forehead and one to her swollen belly, whispering softly, "Goodbye, bubba love. Take care of your momma until I'm back." With that, the blonde reluctantly got up and left Elly's side, exiting the room and quietly closing the door behind her to make sure the concert would run smoothly._

xxxx

Scorching hot water was cascading down her aching and tired body as Elly's hands were firmly pressing against the cool, champagne-colored tiles of the shower wall, her breathing ragged as she tried to force out the thoughts that were violently pushing their way into her head. A strangled sob escaped her mouth and she wheezed, her throat closing up as she started trembling, her head falling forward and leaning against the wall in between her hands, the brunette unsuccessfully trying to even her breaths and lower her heart rate.

xxxx

_A firm hand was covering her mouth to muffle her screams while another was holding the back of her neck in an iron grip, leaving her unable to move, the brunette's feet alternating between uncoordinated stumbling in the direction of their house and being barely dragged across the asphalt._

_Robert's hot breaths hit her ear, his tone menacing, "Shut up!"_

_Pushing Elly through the door he shoved her into the living room and the brunette almost lost her footing, barely managing to catch herself on the backrest of the sofa. Robert pointed a finger at her, a threatening vibrato in his voice, "Is anyone home?"_

_Her breathing heavy, Elly tried to shift her focus on calming her nerves for the sake of her baby, the brunette desperately holding and stroking her swollen belly, and she panted, "No, but they could be soon."_

_Robert took an aggressive step toward her, his taller figure towering over her, and Elly instinctively took a step back, cowering, intimidated, as he scowled, "And the Kennedys still live here?"_

_Continuing her attempts at taking deep breaths, the brunette nodded through the fog in her head, fighting the impending panic, "I'm their niece. They could walk through that door any minute."_

_A malicious grin made its way to the brunette man's face, "Oh, really? That's funny! And here I thought everyone was crammed together down at the complex to celebrate precious Sonya's legacy."_

_Grinding her jaw and fighting back her tears at Robert viciously mocking her dead friend, Elly stood upright, facing her attacker head on, her eyes narrowed, "Were you ever going to help David?"_

_Robert looked at her from underneath the visor of his baseball cap, sneering, "Well, I wanted to. But I couldn't pass on such a tremendous opportunity to get out of those cuffs. They didn't even check if I had really swallowed my sedative. Can you imagine the stupidity?"_

_Feeling the rage rise inside her at the man's cockiness, Elly tried her best to stay calm so as not to set him off, "Well, you still can. Help David. This could all be okay, if you just turned yourself in. If you just walk through that door, I won't tell any-ooohh." That last word was cut off by a sharp pain in her midsection, and Elly clutched the dress over her belly tightly. Her protective instincts kicked in, wanting to protect her baby, but nauseating horror rolled through her whole body from the bottom of her feet when her cell phone started ringing, her girlfriend's ringtone cutting through the otherwise eerily quiet room, 'Chloe!'. Panic rose inside her, her breaths having turned into quick pants once again at the thought of the promise her girlfriend had made to come back to bed with her, in that sweet voice, always chipper and full of bubbly energy, and Elly whimpered, trying to reason with the man who was holding her captive, "Please, I'm pregnant. All I care about is my baby. Just go! Please! Just go, I'll give you money."_

"_Stop talking!" he snapped, stalking over to where her cell phone was resting on the coffee table and switching it off._

"_Please, I'll give you money! I-"_

"_I said SHUT UP, bitch! I'm trying to think!"_

_A frightened startle rippled through Elly's body, coming with a sinking feeling that spread through and ended in a 'pop', the brunette's eyes widening at the gush of wetness that made its way down her legs and to the wooden floor. Starting to cry, Elly whimpered, ragged breaths bursting from her mouth still as she panicked, "Oh my… I… I… I need a hospital. Please! I need a hospital."_

_Smirking, Robert clicked his tongue, "Tsk, tsk, tsk! Nope, you're not going anywhere, sunshine."_

_Elly started to feel dizzy in her panic, the brunette short of hyperventilating and trying to suck in as much oxygen around her as she could, which was not helping, when she saw the phone. Silver and black, safely tucked into its base station on the sideboard. Steeling her expression once again, Elly bolted in the direction to call an ambulance because she could not think of anything else to do. Robert caught her when she was halfway there, his arms wrapping firmly around her upper body and turning her around so her back was once again pressed to his front. His left arm was now gripping her upper body, almost crushing her ribcage, while his right hand clumsily fumbled for the phone behind him, throwing it across the room so that it shattered into pieces at its collision with the opposite wall. Elly whimpered as he continued to yank on her, his hold tightening and nearly squeezing the breath from her. Robert steered them to the kitchen island, backwards, and she did not know what was happening until she felt the cold blade against her neck._

_Tears were pouring from the brunette's eyes now, utter terror weighing down on her, and Robert taunted her, "Now what, sweetheart? Huh? Are you going to be a good girl or do I have to blow your lights out?"_

_Instead of answering, Elly groaned at the pressure that was building in her lower back and gradually changing into excruciating pain that settled in her lower abdomen, making the brunette wince into it and rub her belly, whimpering softly at the pain._

_Squeezing her tighter, Robert growled menacingly, pressing the blade a little more firmly to her neck, "That's not an answer, Baby. Are you going to be a good girl?"_

_A long, high-pitched scream escaped her mouth at the next contraction, the sharp pain and pressure surrounding her entire belly now, and a squeezing sensation, like a major cramp, crawling once again along her lower abdomen. The brunette continued crying, terrified of what was to come as she was pressed against Robert's body, the blade still sharp against her neck, the man now forcefully squeezing her jaw._

_A loud _**bang** _echoed through the living room as the front door flew open, two pairs of sky blue eyes meeting across the room, one tear-filled and full of anguish, the other wide open in shock as Chloe stared and took in the scene that was unfolding in front of her._

xxxx

Elly jumped five feet into the air when she felt a hand on her back, whirling around in the tiny shower cubicle, her eyes wide, her breathing heavy as she tried to make out her surroundings.

Through her anxiety induced trance, the brunette could make out a blurry figure holding their hands up in the air, her ears blocked and a high-pitched ringing cutting off her sense of hearing. Her head was frantically shaking in her attempts to break free from her impending panic attack, and finally her vision and hearing cleared, Chloe standing in front of her and soothingly trying to get through, "It's okay, Baby. It's me. Chloe. You're safe."

Shaking her head clear from the fog, crystal blue, unfocused orbs zeroed in on what was happening in front of her, her girlfriend's worried gaze firmly trained on Elly's face, "Chlo?"

Her lover's eyes softened, her hands still in the air as she was waiting for Elly to come to her, "Yes, Baby. It's me."

A strangled sob ripped from the brunette's throat and she sank forward into Chloe's arms, relishing in the feeling of deft fingers tickling up and down her spine, and her trembling body calmed, the blonde slowly walking them back under the shower spray, "It's okay, Baby. Let it out. You're safe. You're okay."

Chloe. Her safe haven, her love, her anchor. Chloe, who had saved both, hers and their daughter's life.

xxxx

"_Close the door," the voice next to her ear growled in Chloe's direction and the frazzled blonde immediately scurried over to comply._

_When the front door was shut, Elly watched as her lover's hands went up, her palms facing Robert, but blue eyes firmly trained on her, "Did he hurt you?"_

_Scared to move her head with the blade pressing so unyieldingly against her neck, Elly swallowed hard, the sharpness of the metal briefly scratching her larynx as the saliva went down her throat, and she tried to speak through the grip Robert still had on her jaw as best as she could, "No. I'm having contractions."_

_Chloe took a cautious step forward, the blonde now trying to make eye contact with Robert, "We need to get her to a hospital."_

_Yanking Elly's head back a little more, the brunette whimpering helplessly at the strain, the man bellowed, "No one is going anywhere."_

_Chloe's jaw tightened, "Please! You can keep me here instead. Let me just call an ambulance and let her go. I'll stay here with you."_

"_I said NO!" Robert yelled, forcefully shoving Elly away from him and to the sofa, the blonde catching her so she would not fall and hurt herself or the baby._

_Helping her girlfriend to sit down, the younger woman brushed a few strands of hair away that were sticking to Elly's sweaty face. She tried an encouraging smile, "Hi."_

_The brunette was grateful, taking her girlfriend's hand into her own and squeezed, "Hey."_

_Chloe ran a soothing thumb across her lover's knuckles, her voice soft as she inquired, "When did the contractions start?"_

_Elly groaned, "About half an hour ago."_

_Breathing out a relieved sight, the blonde nodded, "Okay, then you probably have some time. Let's focus on your breathing until we can get you out of here."_

_She had not even finished her sentence when Elly started to frantically shake her head, "Maybe not. They are coming on really fast."_

_Whipping her head around, Chloe pleaded, "Look, we really need to get her to a hospital. You can still do the right thing here."_

_Taking a step toward the blonde, Robert held the knife in front of him, "No one's going anywhere."_

_Frowning, Chloe slowly stood erect, "Isn't it enough what you've done to David? Just like that, you're willing to risk a baby's life as well? And Elly's life along with it?"_

_Robert smiled, "Sweetheart, _**you**___are the one who is going to deliver the baby right here."_

_Cerulean eyes widened in panic, "Are you crazy? I'm not a doctor."_

_Before she knew what was happening, there was a hand around her throat, squeezing, a knife against her cheek, and Elly was screaming at him not to hurt her, but Robert growled, "Do you really want to find out if I'm crazy, sweetheart? Hm? Do you?"_

_His eyes were cold and Chloe's vision was starting to become a little blurry around the edges, tiny black dots appearing due to the lack of oxygen flow to her brain, and the blonde shook her head. When Robert let go of her, she sucked in a few deep lungfuls of much needed air, coughing, and clutching her neck while leaning down to kiss Elly's forehead, "I'll be right back. Focus on your breathing, okay? You're doing so, so great."_

_The brunette whimpered, "No, no, no! Don't leave me."_

_Cupping her lover's cheek, Chloe smiled, "Never. I just need to get a few things so we can do this together, okay?" When Elly finally nodded, the blonde mirrored the action, "That's my girl. I'll be right back."_

_With another kiss to a damp forehead Chloe turned and almost bumped into the figure that was towering over her, "Where do you think you're going, sweetheart?"_

_Suppressing the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes, the blonde explained, "Look, I need towels, gloves, and disinfectant. I also need to wash my hands. You want me to do this? Then this is what I need to ensure the mother's and baby's safety. Even if I don't know anything else. Karl Kennedy's doctor's case is right over there by the door; we should find most of it in there."_

_Nodding his okay, Robert let her pass, "If you try anything, you will regret it."_

_Chloe brushed past him, "Yeah, right. Because I would endanger the welfare of the mother and child on purpose." She could not help herself. The sarcasm was just escaping her before she could stop it, the blonde furious and at the same time trying not to give anything about her and Elly's relationship away so he could not use anything to their disadvantage._

_xxxx_

_Kneeling back down in front of Elly, Chloe soothingly rubbed her girlfriend's thighs, "Okay, El. I'm going to push your dress up, is that okay?" With tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes closed in shame, Elly nodded and the blonde whispered, "Okay, please tell me at any point if you feel uncomfortable."_

_The next contraction rolled through her body and Elly wailed, throwing her head back, "Oh God..." Her hands were gripping the couch cushions so hard that her knuckles had turned white, Chloe drawing soothing circles on the inside of her lover's spread thighs with her now gloved hands._

_Another groan, long and loud, a sound that Chloe did not even recognize coming from her lover's mouth, and Elly's blue eyes opened, her physical pain staring back at Chloe, "It hurts so much, Chlo. I can't… please make it stop!"_

_Seeing her love in such excruciating pain was almost too much for the blonde to bear and tears gathered in her own eyes, Chloe leaning forward and bringing her lips to Elly's, at this point not caring that their captor was still in the room with them, "You're doing so great, Baby. I love you. We're gonna do this together - for the Peanut. Not long now and they will be with us. You can do this. You are so brave, El. So brave."_

_Tears were mercilessly trickling down the brunette's cheeks now but she bobbed her head and kissed Chloe again, their liplock ending with another contraction on Elly's part, the older woman desperately clinging to her girlfriend as she screamed in pain, the blonde whispering soothing words of encouragement against her lips._

_Falling limply into the couch cushions behind her, Elly watched as Chloe lifted her dress, swallowing audibly, and their eyes locked again, "I can see the head. The Peanut is crowning. It's time to push, Baby. Are you ready?"_

_Locking eyes with her girlfriend once again, the brunette sat up on the couch, nodding and pushing as hard as she could, her face red from exertion and the veins in her neck popping. The pressure was building and she had to keep going, putting all of her strength into that one movement and fumbling for anything that she could clench._

_Chloe smiled, "Your're doing so well, my love. Just a few more, okay? You can do it. I know you can."_

_Steeling herself, Elly kept pushing as hard as she could, the blood rushing into her head, her dress soaked with sweat, feeling like everything might explode and rip her apart, until she heard her girlfriend's voice through the fog, "It's a little girl."_

_The brunette fell back into the cushions once again, a relieved sob tumbling from her mouth, her breathing coming uncontrolled and in short bursts. Misty blue orbs were trained on the display in front of her, Chloe wrapping their daughter in towels and Elly finally found the strength to lean forward again, cupping the back of the blonde's neck and leaning their foreheads together as they were staring down at the tiny bundle in Chloe's arms._

_Handing the little girl over to Elly, Chloe breathed, "Let's cut the cord, okay?"_

_The brunette nodded, tears gathering in her eyes once again, only this time they were tears of joy and gratitude. Her girlfriend kissed her again before she got up, followed by a soft whisper against her lips, "You did so great, Baby. I love you."_

xxxx

Aster Conway was born at 2:43 p.m. on December 25th, 2019, a healthy 7 pounds and 3 ounces baby girl, 20.4 inches long. Elly could still not believe that they had all made it out alive and well, shuddering violently against her girlfriend's body at the thought of what could have happened, no matter how warm she felt, tucked against pale, naked flesh and standing under the hot shower spray.

When they had looked up, Robert had been gone, had left them there and just vanished into thin air, having given them the opportunity to finally go to the hospital to get mother and child checked.

Curling into her lover's body, Elly sighed when she felt Chloe's plush lips against her neck, the blonde having foamed up a wash cloth that was now trailing the skin of her lower back and then up to her shoulders, "I love you."

Pulling back, the brunette's gaze was met by misty cerulean orbs and she leaned in for a gentle kiss, her tongue only briefly dipping inside as the blonde continued to wash her. Turning around, the older woman now pressed her back against Chloe's front, shuddering lightly when stiff nipples brushed against her back, and her head leaned against the blonde's shoulder as she relished in the feeling of the foamy cloth traveling her skin, slowly but surely setting her body on fire. Elly turned her head, hotly rasping against her girlfriend's jaw, "I wish you could make love to me. Right here, right now. I want you inside me so badly."

Smiling softly against her ear, Chloe pressed a tiny kiss there, "Soon, my love. Once you have recovered and feel up to it, we will make up for all the lost time, I promise."

The brunette's relaxed into her lover's body, feeling completely boneless as the steam rose up around them and fogged up the shower cubicle and the bathroom mirror, and Chloe continued to thoroughly run the foamy cloth over her body before featherlightly brushing between her legs, making Elly tremble. Pulling her hand back, the blonde started apologizing, "I'm sorry, Baby. I don't mean to make things harder. Do you want me to leave you to it so you can finish up?"

Elly shook her head, her lips once again pressing against a pale jaw, "No, I want to try something."

With that, she took the wash cloth from Chloe's hand and dropped it to the floor, taking her girlfriend's hands into her own and wrapping them around her midsection, and the blonde's breathing stuttered, "Baby, maybe that's not such a good idea, hm? You were so upset when I got in."

Turning her head, Elly caught her lover's lips in a slightly awkwardly-angled kiss, "No, I'm sure if you are."

The blonde let her girlfriend guide her, both women's hands coming to rest between the brunette's legs, and Elly encouraged her, "Go ahead."

Pressing fluttering kisses to the older woman's neck and cheek, Chloe's hand wandered lower, the blonde gasping at the wetness that awaited her and that did not have anything to do with the shower they were currently taking. Gathering the sticky fluid with her fingers, careful not to hurt her lover, the blonde watched as Elly licked her lips and lay her head back against her shoulder, her mouth opening in a silent _oh_ and her hips jumping when Chloe's fingers bumped into her clit. Exploring gently, the blonde teased the swollen nub around the edges at first, gradually increasing the intensity of her movements until she was drawing sure and tender circles.

Elly's breathing intensified along with her lover's ministrations, her hips gyrating against her moving fingers, and the brunette rasped, her hand reaching back to bury her fingers in damp flaxen curls, "You feel so good, Baby. Please don't stop."

Seeing her girlfriend arch her beautiful body in pleasure, Chloe pressed a tiny kiss to a damp temple, "I won't, I promise. Let go. I've got you."

Elly had started panting, her thighs quivering as a sign for her impending release, and she turned her head once again, "Kiss me."

Leaning in, the blonde caught her lover's lips in a deep, open-mouthed kiss, their tongues tangling, her hand never ceasing its movement against Elly's clit, and the brunette froze, not so much flying over the edge as drifting over it before floating safely back to the ground and into Chloe's arms.

"God."

The blonde smirked, "No, the name's Chloe."

Her comment earned her a pointed glare and a slap to the arm, "Smartass."

Showering Elly's shoulders and neck with fluttering kisses, the blonde suggested, "How about we finish up and get started on dinner before popping in a movie? Finn and Bea should be back from their walk with Aster soon as well in time for her to be fed. Maybe they want to join us."

Turning around in Chloe's arms, Elly's eyes drifted up and down the blonde's lean body, "What about you?"

Chloe shook her head, "I'm fine, my love. This was about you."

Wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck, Elly pulled her in for another kiss, "Mmmm, and was amazing."

The younger woman smiled into their kiss, whispering when they parted, "Come on, let's rinse off and settle down for the night. I need some couch snuggles."

Kissing Chloe again, chastely this time, Elly breathed, "I love you."

The blonde nuzzled their noses together, "And I, you, Baby. Forever."

"Forever."

**xxxx**

**A/N 2: There! Fixed it.**

**Thanks for reading, guys. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm heavily on antibiotics, so mistakes are my own.**

**The quote in the beginning is taken from the song **_**Beside You**_** by Marianas Trench.**

**Also, this was my last Chelly story until further notice. I don't know if or when I will start writing for this fandom again, but for now it's farewell for personal reasons.**

**If you enjoy my stories, feel free to leave a kudos, or a review, or both. :D**

**Until next time, my lovelies.**


End file.
